Hand-tool.



w. A. BERNARD.

HAND TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.4. 1914.

1,162,439. 'Patented N0v.30,1915.

'UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oFFicn.

WILLIAM A. BERNARD, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE WILLIAMSCI-IOLLHORN COMPANY, OF r'NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

HAND-TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N0V '30, 1915.

Application med April i, 1914. serial No. 829,671.

T0 all whom it may concern.' y

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. (BERNARD, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing in the city and county'of New Haven and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Tools, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description. n

This invention relates to hand presses, hand punches, or other tools, ofthat type in which the device is operated to stamp or punch metalblanks, and the like, by manipulation of one or more lever members orhandles with which the tool equipped.

I shall describe my improvements as applied to a hand tool for embossingpurposes, but it will be apparent from the following description thatvarious features of the invention are applicable to tools and devices ofother types.` n,

The primary object of the invention is to furnish a tool wherein amaximum amount of power may be developed by convenient manualmanipulation of the operating parts, and wherein the sizeof the deviceis very small in comparison to the power developed.

In the form of the invention which I have selected for illustration, thetool is adapted to emboss a steel band or strip with several good sizedfigures, or'other characters, at one operation, which maybeperformedfwith the expenditure of very little energy on the part ofthe operator; and yet the tool is of such size and shape as to be easilyportable, and to fit readily in the workmans pocket. This result isbrought about by novel'means for operating one of the. movable partsofthe tool by a lever handle, or handles, as hereinafter described.

I also contemplate the provision of a tool having improved means tocenter an intertting plunger and work support relative to each other asthe tool is operated, in case such plunger and support are not alreadyin perfect alinement. v

Other objects of the invention are to im- Jprove certain details ofconstruction in a hand tool particularly applicable tothe stamping orpunching of strips of sheet metal; and-to improve generally theconstruction and operation of devices of the class to which my inventionrelates.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel featuresand combinations of parts' to bel hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of'anembossing tool constructed in accordance with my invention, with thelever handles separated, and

'the movable member of the embossing mechanism retracted from the fixedmember or work support. Fig. 2 is an elevation ofthe tool, taken fromthe opposite side, with the handles closed together. Fig. 3 is a sideedge vview of the tool. Fig. 4 is a top view of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is asection on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of therespective embossing members, and Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 8 ofFig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates generally thehead of the tool,which forms a support for the various parts and is composed of' parallelplates 11, 12, secured together in the manner hereinafter described.Guided lengthwise in the head 10 'is a slide or plunger 13 which, inthepresent'tool, acts as one of the embossing members. A member 14 fixed tothe head 10 is adapted to support the work to be operated upon and tocoperate with .the plunger in embossing the same.` The plunger'l isarranged to move toward and away from the relatively fixed member 14,rand said plunger and its coperating member k are appropriately formedat their adjacent surfaces (Figs. 6 and 7) to emboss a piece of metal inthe desired manner when it is inserted between them and compressed bymanipulation of the plunger. The plunger 13 is guided lengthwise of theheadV 10, betweenY the plates 11 and 12, by means of bolts .15, 16,which interconnect the plates 11 and 12, as shown in Fig. 5. The plungerhas a longitudinal slot 17 through which said bolts extend. Theibolt 15is located near one end of the slot 17,V and the bolt 16 is located nearthe other Aend of the slot. The slot 17 is slightly longer than thedistance from one of the bolt shanks to the other (outside measurement)lso that the plunger can have a limited lengthwise movement relative tothe bolts,'i`n which movement therplunger is guided by the bolt'shanksin'an obvious manner. The bolt 15 limits the movement of the plungertoward the fixed member 14, and the bolt 16 limits the movement of theplunger away from said member, as will be to permit the introductionbetween the parts A.

13, 14 of the metal, or other material to be operated upon. n the formshown, the plates 11 and 12 are provided with registering openings 19,20,. which are located adjacent the embossing face of the member 14, sothat when the plunger 13 is retracted from the member 14, as shown inFig. 1, a strip of metal to bek embossed may be inserted between the`members 13, 14. By providing the openings 19 and 20, the strips ofmetal to be embossed can be passed completely through the head 10, ifdesired. u

The plunger 13 extends rearwardly beyond the plates 11 and 12, and atits rearwardly extending portion, it is provided (on opposite sides ofanimaginary center line running lengthwise of the plunger) `with pivots,illustrated as bolts 21, whereby the plunger is pivotedto the forwardextremities of operating handles or levers 22. Pins 23, interconnectingthe plates 11, 12, at the respective sides of the plunger 13, formpivots for links 24 pivoted between the plates 11, 12. Each pin 23extends through the forward end of the corresponding link 24, and therear end portion of such link, which is turned inwardly, as shown at 24,is pivoted to one of the lever handles 22 by a pin 25 at a point betweenthe corresponding pivot bolt 21 and the opposite extremity of thehandle. Thus the lever handles 22 are pivoted at, or adjacent, theirforward ends to the plunger 13, and intermediate of their endsthey arepivoted to the rear ends of the respective links24, which links 24 arein turn pivoted to the head 10, on opposite sides of the path ofmovement of the plunger. The parts are so arranged that when the leverhandles are separated to the full extent permitted by the engagement ofthe pin 16 with slot 17, the pivotal points 21 are appreciably closer tothe center of the plunger (see line 5-5 of Fig. 1) than are the pivotalpoints 25. p

Each lever handle 22 is preferably bent up from sheet metal intosubstantially U- shaped cross-section, and its forward end portion iscut away to present opposing plates 22a, between which the rear endofthe plunger and the rear end of the corresponding link 24 areinterposed. In other words, each lever handle is shaped to straddle theplunger and also the corresponding link 24, whereby strong pivotalconnection of the respective parts to each other is facilitated.

The operation of the tool is substantially as follows: The lever handles22 being separated, as shown in Fig. 1, the strip to be embossed isinserted in the opening 19, between the iixed and movable embossingmembers. Tf it is desired to emboss only the end portion of the strip, asuitable stop 26, pivoted to the plate 12 by a pin 27, may be projectedacross the opening 20, as shown in fullV lines in Fig. 2, so as toarrest the strip in the desired position. As the handles 22 are forcedtogether they swing about the pivots 25, whereby the points 21 are movedforwardly, thereby forcing the plunger forwardly, and compressing thestrip against theabutment 14. At the same time, the pivotal points 25move inwardly about the centers of the respective pins 23, each lever 22forming with its connected link 24 a sort 4of toggle, and as the pivotalpoints 25 almost reach lines passing through the respective pivotalpoints 21 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plunger, the movementof the plunger' vis greatly retarded relatively to the movement of thehandles, and the power developed is multiplied to a remarkable degree.In fact, the power developed is so great that a hard steel strip ofconsiderable thickness can be embossed over quite a large surface withthe expenditure of surprisingly little energy on the part of theoperator.

It will thereforebe understood that by my invention a rectilinearlymovable member, such as the plunger 13, may be so actuated bymanipulation of a level', such as 22, that the plunger is very muchretarded at one end of its movement whereby the power transmitted to thework is correspondingly multiplied. This is e'ected by providing thelever 22, or its equivalent, with a movable fulcrum, such as is aifordedby the link 24, whereby the fulcrum of the lever may swing freely in anarc so as not to interfere with the sliding movement of the plunger. Thepower is increased as the pivotal point 21 and fulcrum 25, in swingingorbitally about each other, almost aline with a plane if;

parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plunger, as will be understood,at which time the movement of the plunger is arrested just before a deadcenter is reached.

The pivoting of the member 14 on a single pin or bolt 18 enables saidmember to swing freely to a certain extent sothat it will always centeritself accurately with'respect to the plunger. Thus the parts 13 and 14will always fit together accurately if they are provided in the iirstinstance with properlyshaped interfitting projections and recesses. Itis immaterial which of the parts 13, 14 carries the projection orprojections, and which part carries the corresponding die or matrix.

If it is desired to take out the abutment or work support 14 forsubstituting a new one, this can be readily effected'by removingSimilarly, the plunger 13 can be removed from the tool by removing thebolts 15, 16 and 21. Ihen these last named bolts have been removed, theplunger 13 may be slid out between the lever handles, if the latter areseparated. Thus, the tool can be used with several different dies, orthe like, which adapt it to different lkinds of work. For example, if itis desired to punch holes in the metal strip, a plunger having asuitable punch may be substituted for the plunger 13, and acorresponding die block may be substituted for the abutment or block 14.By the construction described, the tool obviously has a large scope ofutility.

I do not limit myself to a tool in which a movable part acting on theblank is operated by two handle levers, and it will be understood thatin the broad aspects of the invention the character of the work done bythe tool, and the details of the construction, are immaterial. Variouschanges in these and other respects may be adopted within the scope ofmy inventive idea as expressed in the claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a hand tool, the combination of a pair of flat plates arranged inspaced parallel relation, a plunger movable lengthwise Abetween saidplates and having opposite ing the plunger, an abutment to coperate withsaid plunger, operating levers pivoted to said plunger, and linkspivoted between said plates at opposite sides respectively of saidplunger and likewise pivoted to said operating levers; substantiallyasdescribed.

2. In a hand tool, the combination of a pair of flat plates arranged inspaced parallel relation, a plunger movable lengthwise between saidplates and having opposite surfaces in contact with the respectiveplates, said plunger having a longitudinal slot, a device for fasteningthe plates together extending through said slot for guiding the plunger,an abutment to coperate with said plunger, operating levers pivoted tosaid plunger, and links pivoted between said plates at opposite sidesrespectively of f at opposite sides lof the longitudinal axis of theplunger and pivoted to said plunger, links extending alongside of saidplunger between said plates in approximate parallelism with the plungerand pivoted between the plates near the forward end of the plimger, saidlinks having inturned ends piv` oted to said levers intermediate of theends of said levers, and a work support secured to 'said plates andcoperating with said plunger; substantially as described.

11, In a hand tool, the combination of a pair of plates arranged inspaced parallel relation, a plunger guided between said plates, a worksupport interposed between said plates to coperate with said plunger,link s interposed between said plates on opposite sides respectively ofsaid plunger, operating levers pivoted to said links and to saidplunger, fastening devices for securing the plates together, passingthrough said link s and pivoting them tothe plates, a fastening devicefor the plates passing through said work support, and a fastening devicefor the plates passing through an opening in the plunger; substantiallyas described. n

o. In a hand tool, the combination of a pair of plates arranged inspaced parallel relation, a plunger guided between said plates, a worksupport interposed between said plates to coperate with said plunger,

s links interposed between said plates on opposite sides respectively ofsaid plunger, operating levers pivoted to said links and to saidplunger, fastening devices for securing the plates together, passingthrough said links and pivoting them to the plates, a fastening devicefor the plates passing through said work support, and a fastening devicefor the plates passing through an opening in the plunger, said plateshaving registering openings between the plunger and the work support forthe insertion of the `material to be operated upon; substantially asdescribed.

6. In a hand tool, the combination of spaced parallel plates, aplungerguided between the same, an abutment for said plunger interposed betweensaid plates, and a single pin extending through said abutment and saidplates and forming a mounting on which the abutment may swing into linewith the plunger; substantially as described.

7. In a hand tool, the combination of a head comprising spaced parallelplates, said plates having registering cut away portions forming anopening in the head, an abutment between the plates on one side of saidopening, a plunger between the plates on the opposite side of saidopening, means for operating said plunger and a. movable stop associatedwith said opening at one face of the tool; substantially as described.

8. In a hand tool, the combination of a head comprising a pair ofparallel plates, a. Of the material in a. direction depthwise of 1oplunger guided between said plates, means the head; substantially asdescribed.

for operating said plunger, an abutment car- In witness whereof, I havehereunto set ried by said head to cooperate with said my hand on the 3rdday of April, 1914.

. plunger, said plates having registering eut- WILLIAM A. BERNARD.

away portions between Said plunger and abutment for the insertion of thematerial Witnesses to be operated upon, and a` swinging stop HENRY E.ROCKWELL, carried by the head to limitthe insertion Y M. OLIVE WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centsreach, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents.

Y Washington, D. C.

